Define Normal
by Frostybyte
Summary: Buffy Summers. Faith Lehane. Two girls. Absolute opposites. And now they have to counsel each other. This should be fun. NOT FEMSLASH. AU, features AtS and BtVS characters, rated for mentions of drug use, shoplifting, and sex.
1. Buffy: All The Fun I Can Handle

_Woooohhhhoooooooo!!!!!!!! Woo! 3 Cheers for Frostybyte's new story! Wooot!_

_It's called **Define "Normal"**. It's kinda based off the book by Julie Anne Peters. This is a fic that is pretty much Buffy- and Faith-centric. It is not a slash-fic. I just like the idea, and I want to see where it goes._

_Is definitely AU, so does not fit in the timeline anywhere._

_This is not a romantic fic. I might throw some in, however, so feel free to suggest pairings. I have, however decided on Faith/Spike._

* * *

"speaking"

_thinking_

Buffy's P.O.V.

I opened the door and froze. Not Faith Lehane. Impossible. Was not gonna happen. My jaw stuck as I did my best cow impression.

"What are you looking at?" Faith sneered at me.

_Umm, I don't know, maybe your tattoo?_ "Nothing," I muttered.

Faith snorted. "You're my peer counselor?" She put her clunky boots on the table, and tipped back her chair.

My stomach was doing flip-flops. "Guess so." _Define 'peer.'_

Faith snorted again. Must have had the same thought. Well, no delaying the inevitable. I sat down with a sigh at the opposite side of the table. Even from there I could smell her perfume. It was nauseating. I was trying very hard not to sneeze. "Where's Giles?" I asked.

"I dunno." Faith shrugged, international sign language for 'and I don't care' "He had some emergency or another. Probably had to run down to the library to 'research' something and polish his glasses."

I stifled a laugh. The school psychologist/librarian did tend to polish his glasses when he got nervous. Which was a lot.

"So do you want to start or should I?" asked Faith, with an impish grin.

_I think we should both walk out of here and pretend this meeting never took place._ "I'll start." _Stupid college credits. Okay, start. Where to start? Geez, when Giles recommended this peer counseling thing, I didn't think someone like Faith Lehane would sign up. I thought it was meant for people with minor problems, like difficult teachers, or breaking up with your boyfriend or something. Not someone with Faith Lehane's problems. She's, what? A gangbanger. A druggie. Peer counseling? She needs long-time psychotherapy._ "In a lock-up facility," I mumbled.

"Huh?" she said.

"Nothing. Why don't you go ahead." _This should be good_. "Tell me why you're here." Giles suggested this as an icebreaker. Between me and Faith, however, there was an iceberg.

Faith smirked. "It keeps me off the streets."

I forced a smile back. _Good reason_.

She got up, denting the heater behind her by accidentally throwing her chair into it. She walked down to my side of the table and sat kitty-corner to me. "We can't talk from way down there," was her explanation.

"I'm here 'cause Giles says I gotta be. I gotta do fifteen hours of counseling this term. She glanced at her watch, then grinned at me. "Ten minutes and counting."

For some reason I could not stop staring at her tattoo. _Why would you get that? Don't you have to have parental permission, or something? What if she did it—_

"You like it?" her amused voice filtered into my thoughts. "Cause if you do, Tattoo 4 U 2 is having a special. Get a tattoo, get a free body piercing."

"A world of no," I responded. Inside I was shaking. _What am I doing? I can't do this? I can't counsel Faith Lehane!_

"So, are we gonna start?" she wondered aloud. She checked her watch. "Sixteen minutes. This ain't so bad. Why don't we start with our names?" She extended her hand. "I'm Faith Lehane. But everyone just calls me Faith."

I extended my hand also. "I'm Buffy Summers."

We shook hands. "Nice to meet ya, B." She sat back in her chair. "So…" she said, spinning in her chair and staring at the ceiling. "Let's talk about you."

"Well, I'm Buffy. Everyone calls me Buffy." My eyes met hers.

She shrugged.

I continued. "I'm 17 and I'm a junior. My favorite subject is psychology. I'm in the honor roll, and I was on the cheer squad, but I had to quit—"

Faith yawned audibly. She checked her watch. "Time sure flies when you're having fun." She batted her mascara-covered lashes at me. "And that's just about all the fun I can handle for one day."

I started putting my stuff away. "Thanks a lot, B! I feel better already. With you counseling me, I'll be five-by-five in no time!" With that little sarcastic gem, she left the room.

_Wonderful. I feel sick._

**Well, that's all for now. Stay tuned!**

**Frostybyte**


	2. Faith: Loserpalooza

_And w/out further ado, here is my new chappie._

"speaking"

_thinking_

**Faith's P.O.V.**

_Geez, B, why don't you get that stick outta your ass? It might do a little good_. I stormed down the hall_. I don't even know why I am so angry with Buffy Summers, but…She acts so condescending, like she is soooo much better than me. Why is she doing peer counseling? It's like Southie all over again…I wish—_I thought as I then ran into someone and I stumbled and fell to the floor.

I cursed and struggled to pick myself up. That fall had hurt like a bitch. _Stupid idiot could have at least stopped to help. _

"Well, well, well Lehane."

My eyes grew wide. _Oh, fuck. I know that voice._ _That's—_

"William, hello. How are you this fine day?" I smirked, knowing that name pissed him off like nothing else.

I was still looking at the floor. _He's probably looking angry, rolling his eyes, acting all macho, pretending to be Mr. Hot Stuff_. I looked up at him, putting on as much attitude as I could muster.

"Fine, _Faith_," he said, still looking amused, but his eyes looked angry that I had run into him. He wouldn't be able to get too mad at me though. His friend Angel had him on a tight leash, and luckily, I was a friend of Angel's. Well…friendly acquaintance, maybe.

I smiled innocently at him. "What do you want, _Spike_?" I asked, putting as much emphasis on his "name" (_Name, yeah right. For a dog, maybe_) as he had with mine.

_Ugh. I hate him. If Angel wanted to talk to me, he could have come himself. Or maybe Angel didn't send him. I don't think Spike listens to Angel anyways. _Thoughts were speeding through my head as I folded my arms.

"Relax, Faith. Peaches didn't send me," _Gee, mind reader much?_ "And I don't even know why that thought would cross your mind." He frowned, his eyes narrowing. "If it did," he added.

He thought for a second and then added, "You were the one who ran into me, anyways. Where are you coming from in such a rush? Who stuck a stick up that nice little butt of yours?" He smiled, cocking his head to the side and looking me up and down. He was such a pervert, like most guys at that school.

I really need to control my anger better, if William "Spike" Thomas can read my emotions like that. "Peer counseling," I all but snarled. "With Buffy Summers."

Spike stiffened, his back straighter. I noticed and smirked. "What? Know her?" It was too good. I could completely tell that something was up with him. Maybe they dated?

"Who doesn't know Queen B?" he sighed. "She used to date Angel."

B and…Angel? Wow, never heard about that one… Spike and I began to walk down the hall, talking about Buffy and Angel.

"Yah, Peaches used to date her. They were really into each other, too. But then…" he trailed off without finishing. I knew what he was going to say.

"Darla." I finished for him. He nodded. "She and Dru told him that Buffy would just break his heart. Bloody ponce believed them. He broke her heart." He jammed his hands into his black leather duster, continuing to walk forward sullenly, and that's when I began to suspect something.

Nah…couldn't happen…he's totally loyal to Drusilla…"Spike?" I said slowly. "Did you like her?" I smiled, thinking I was catching on to something. He ignored me, which made me almost positive I was right.

Oh my God. Spike and B. That's just gross. "No offense, but you and Buffy dating would be like…Willow Rosenberg turning gay. Completely out of the question." I licked my lips and rubbed the back of my head. "Especially with her boyfriend hanging around."

Spike had a confused look on his face. "Buffy has a boyfriend?"

I prayed to God for patience, and it didn't work. I decided to just hit Spike on the arm instead. "Not Buffy, dumbass. Willow!"

"Oh, right. I dunno 'bout Red, though, she could be playing for the other team…" I looked up, startled and relaxed when I saw the amused spark in his eyes.

"Geez, you made me think my analogy was out the window," I complained. "I would have had to come up with a new one!"

"Awwww. Poor Faithie," spoke a new voice. Whipping around, I came face to face with—

"Cordy," Spike said right back. "So nice to see you. Or, actually, not."

Cordelia Chase didn't grimace a bit. "The feelings mutual," she smiled and then looked at me. "A freak and a loser. Awww. You guys would make a great couple," she said with fake saccharin sweetness.

"Uh huh," grunted Spike, looking bored. "That would be great. If I didn't have a girlfriend."

Cordelia practically pranced by us and then stopped, turning around. "Oh, right, I forgot. You and psycho-girl."

Spike growled. I put a hand on his arm to calm him down. His arm was rock-hard. Boy, that guy had muscles. "Let it go," I advised. "At least you have a girlfriend. Cordy here can't stay with a guy for more than a week.

Cordy's smiling face then turned into a slight scowl. "Whatever."

We all walked in silence until we got out of the school. I spotted Angel and Fred talking on the grass. Fred was really smart, but kind of annoying, in my opinion. Also, she smoked so much pot, it was like she had a death wish.

Cordy scoffed. "Loserpalooza. I'm gone." She went the opposite direction.

"I dunno why Angel's even friends with her," complained Spike about Fred. I hit him. He glared at me, rubbing his arm.

"She's nice." I defended Fred because she was nice to me, even if she was a complete pothead and a real nerd. However, I've done my share of junk. I probably shouldn't be judging, should I? I quit though. I had enough crap to deal with already.

Spike growled and followed Cordelia, so I approached Fred and Angel alone. I got there in time to hear Angel finish up his complaining session.

"…so he keeps trying to bust me. Even if I'm not doing anything."

Fred put a hand on his arm. "Hey, he hasn't caught you yet, right?" She was smoking, surprise, surprise, and had a textbook in her other arm.

I sat down next to Angel. "Who hasn't caught you yet?"

"Officer Lockley." He looked disgruntled. Lockley. Lockley. Where have I heard that name?

"Oh, Kate's dad."

"Yup," said Fred. She took a long drag and coughed.

"You know those things are gonna kill you." I told her, patting her on the back. She looked at me. "But…you got any pot?"

I sighed. "She's hopeless," I told Angel. He nodded. "You must have a death wish," I concluded.

"You must too, if you're staying out after five when you're grounded," commented Angel. I looked at my watch. 4:52.

"Damn! I'm grounded!" I wailed. "I forgot! I gotta get home!" I got up and started sprinting, leaving Fred and Angel sitting serenely on the grass behind the school.

-end-

Well, that's all.

-Frostybyte


	3. Buffy: Bronzing It

_Chapter 3. Here we go._

_A thank you goes out to my beta, **Neilie**._

"speaking"

_thinking_

**Buffy's P.O.V.**

I trudged home alone. Willow offered to wait for me, but I didn't want her to miss her date with Oz. They really need to patch things up. I remembered how Cordy and Oz had walked in on Willow and my other best friend Xander _kissing_. And now Cordy hates Willow.

But Willow might be able to patch things up with Oz. He's a good guy.

Maybe.

If she's lucky.

I've had my own guy problems. Patching up is never easy. It doesn't work.

I know.

I've tried.

This line of thought was rather rudely interrupted by a couple in front of me, who I ran into.

Accidentally.

"Watch where you're going, idiot!" Alexander Harris, my best friend, yelled at me. "Oh…Buffy…"

I was disgusted. "Oh, God, Xander, get a room!"

He looked sheepish. "This…isn't what it looks like, Buff." His girlfriend looked affronted. "What do you mean "it isn't"?" Anya Jenkins had the uncanny ability to look over six feet tall when she was angry.

Xander looked slightly scared. "Ahn, not now." Anya sighed. "Well that's just great." Another sigh. "Call me when you decide this is what it looks like." She left us.

Woah, wasn't expecting that. Apologetic Buffy time. "Wow. Sorry."

Xander wasn't mad at me. He doesn't get mad at me often, 'cause he knows I can kick his ass. "Never mind. I'll talk to her later. So, what's up?"

I decided to tell him about my peer counseling adventure. "Ewwww peer counseling with Faith Lehane."

Xander looked shocked. "She's counseling YOU?"

How could he even think that? I'm not the one with the issues. "No…I'm counseling her."

Xander looked relieved, then his face fell. "Well, that's not much better. Ummm…she didn't mention me, right?"

I was confused. "Uh…no. Why would she?"

Xander looked at the ground. "Well, uh…" I would need to encourage him. "What? Did you, like, sleep with her?" He looked scared. _Oh my God. He didn't—did he?_

"Shmyfrst" he mumbled.

He sighed and looked at me. "She was my first."

"Oh…oh…_oh_…" I was shocked. "You and…Oh my God." This was a revelation. A big one.

We began to walk towards my house. Xander's was farther away.

"Yah. So…are we Bronzing it tonight?" asked Xander. I thought about the piles of homework I had to do.

"Sure." Stupid mouth.

Maybe Angel would be there.

The thing about small towns is that there is only one thing to do at night. That meant that EVERYONE was at the Bronze. Including Angel. Including Faith.

"…so I had to sneak out." I heard her say to some girl with long mousy brown hair, who was smoking something that I'm pretty sure was illegal. _What's her name, what's her name? A boy's name…Tom? Fred! Fred, that's it._

I decided to put my two-cents in, 'cause, hey, Faith's not my friend.

"You snuck out? That's pathetic." I smirked at Faith as she whipped around to look at me. Her reflexes were almost as good as mine.

I could almost feel the anger radiating off her. "Oh, 'cause you're such the golden girl, B. Angel told me about all those times you snuck out to see him." She smirked at me. "Oh, and there he is now. Come on, Fred, let's go."

She and the girl departed in the direction of the door, just as Angel walked in. I saw him greet Faith and Fred, and Faith led him onto the dance floor while Fred stayed behind to talk to a boy with glasses who had just entered, who was Wesley Windham-Price, a guy I sometimes hung out with. Faith and Angel were dancing together on the dance floor. Their dance style was very risqué, but they still managed to talk while they were doing it.

I had to stop it.

I made my way across the dance floor until I was near them.

"What are you doing with her?" I yelled over the music.

Angel paused for a second, then looked at me and shrugged. "I'm allowed to hang out with whoever I want to."

And then he and Faith went back to dancing.

And I left the club, seething.

-end-

_Good, bad? Review please!_


	4. Faith: Kleptos and Love Poems

_Ahem. Next chapter._

_Thank you to **Neilie **and **BeautifulFaith** for reviewing._

"Ommm," I chanted. "Ommmm." I loved the silence. No worries, no problems, just sweet serene--

_**SLAM**_

I smiled inwardly. _Miss Summers has arrived._ I cracked an eye. She was glaring at me from across the table. _If looks could kill..._

I slid off the table top that I had been meditating on and took a seat across from her.

Seconds passed by without so much as a twitch.

I finally decided to break the silence. "Well, hey, B."

She glared at me some more. This was gonna be fun. "So...did you have a good time last night?" I continued.

"Okay, look." _Ooh, she's awake._ "We're going to talk about our, actually, _your_ issues. I don't like you, you don't like me--" _Gee, what was your first hint?_ "--so let's just talk about_ your _problems."

"Because, of course, the perfect, wonderful Buffy Summers doesn't have problems." I rolled my eyes. _Denial much?_

"That's **_my_** business." _Wow, I can just feel the love radiating off of her._

"Ooh, sorry B. Thought I was s'posed to know your business."

She scoffed, shaking her head. "Just tell me about your family. Parents?"

"Dead." _Let her act all high-and-mighty now._

She looked up from the table, shocked. I wasn't surprised. A lot of people have that reaction. "What?!" _Yah, 'cause I really wanna talk 'bout it._

I shrugged. I really did not want to talk about it. "I was in foster care for a while, but that sucked."

She dropped it, much to my surprise. "Boyfriends?"

I counted on my fingers. "Ronnie, deadbeat. Steve, klepto. Kenny, drummer."

"Wow, suddenly my life doesn't look so bad," she murmered. _Last thing I need is Miss Priss's pity._

"So what about you, B?" I asked, spinning around in my roller chair. "You gotta perfect, middle class, white family with 2.5 kids, two loving parents, three cats, a dog, and a white picket fence?"

She made a face. "Hardly. My dad skipped town with his secretary, now he and mom are divorced. Mom had brain cancer, but she got an operation done. One sister, Dawn," she stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes. I stifled a laugh. "I think she's klepto...all my stuff keeps disappearing and I think I've seen things in her room with security tags on it."

"Oooh, looks like B has some secrets of her own." I teased.

She glared. "This is confidential. Stays in this room."

I held my hands up in mock surrender. "Yah, B, I read the contract. Pretty explicit about the whole, don't-tell-anyone-about-what-you-talk-about-or-we-will-kill-you thing. But Giles ain't so tough. I could take 'im."

She glared at me. "Kidding, B! God, can't you get the stick outta your ass long enough to laugh a little?" I asked.

She glared at me and then pranced out of the room, calling over her shoulder. "I can't believe I gave up homeroom for this. I've got to get to class. Later, much, Faith."

_Well, smart one. You forgot one thing. We have the same first period class._ I set off down the hall, on my way to English class.

* * *

"Now, can anyone explain the difference between Adele Foucher and Juliette Drouet? Both were romantically linked to Victor Hugo, remember. No one? Well, Juliette was a courtesan." 

"Isn't that, like, a prostitute?" asked Cordelia.

"A courtesan is someone who attains rank, status, or money in return for sexual favors," said Ms. Benson cautiously.

"So, like, a prostitute," repeated Cordelia.

Ms. Benson sighed. "Yes, I suppose." I tried not to laugh. Ms. Benson was trying, I'll give her that.

"So, can anyone explain to me about courting in Victor Hugo's time?" she continued. "No? No one? Well, I guess we'll try and experiment. All the girls, come to this side, please." She indicated the left side of the room. "And all the boys over here." she pointed to the right.

"Okay, whose birthday is in September?" she asked. Two kids raised their hands. "Okay, Helen. When does your birthday come?"

She smiled shyly. "The third."

"Okay, the girls go first, starting with Helen. Pick a boy." Helen pointed. "Marco, okay, you are Helen's partner."

She moved on to the next girl. "Lillian. Do I really have to ask?" Darla, whose real name was Lillian, smirked. Ms. Benson sighed. "No, I suppose not. Liam," she pointed to Angel. "You're Lillian's partner." I saw Buffy's face fall.

_Oh shit, it's my turn..._"Faith?" she asked. "Who...?"

I searched for a not taken person I knew. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw him. "Sp--I mean William."

"Miss Summers?" _There's no one left for you to pick, Miss Priss._

I watched as Buffy tapped a (perfectly manicured) nail against her face. Everyone knew her first choice would have been Angel, but he was taken, so...

Ms. Benson looked impatient. "Hurry up. If you do not choose in five seconds, I will choose for you...Very well. I choose...Owen." Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. I was impressed. Owen wasn't half-bad looking. But you could tell that there would be hell to pay from Cordy, who was his girlfriend. She was looking murderous.

_Even I don't wanna piss Cordy off. Oh wait, I do. I wonder what Ms. Benson's getting at? What were we talking about before? Courting, right. Courting, that's, what, dating? What is she gonna make us do? Not like she could do anything long-lasting..._

I was brought out of my thoughts by Ms. Benson's voice. "It appears we have more girls than boys, so Willow and Tara will be partners. Now, everyone please sit next to your partner." I motioned Spike to the now-vacated seat next to me, because, hey, _I_ didn't feel like moving. He smirked as he took the seat, so I smacked him in the head, just for the fun of it.

"Bloody hell, woman! What did I _do_?" he moaned in fake anguish. I smirked at him.

"You existed." I turned my head to listen to Ms. Benson.

"Now, since it seems no one knows what courting is, we're going to do an experiment. Each person has to write a love poem directed at their partner." She held up her hand to stop the groans and complaints. "And they must read it aloud tomorrow. In front of the class. If you choose not to do it, you will get two zeros on test grades." She paused, thinking. "And you will have to do on Sunnydale High morning announcements. And if you are absent, you have to dress up to do it."

I put my head on my hands. I had to write a poem...to Spike? How could this be happening?

He didn't look put off. He was actually smirking, tipping his chair back. "What?" I said, too frustrated to be angry.

"Nothing."

"It's not nothing! You're sitting there smirking, and, and...why the hell do I have to write a poem to you?"

"'Cause you just can't stand my masculine charms," he smirked.

I flipped him off. He held up two fingers in reply.

"Well, looks like you're right," I commented. "Willow's not gonna be driving stick for this project. She's, how did you so kindly put it? Oh, yeah. 'Playing for the other team.'"

The bell rang, and the kids started to get up. "Just promise you won't embarrass me?" I asked, picking up my backpack.

He smirked. "Why would I do that?"

My face heated up. "Are you talking about the promise or embarrassing me?" I wanted to know.

"Well, you'll just have to see, won't you..." with that elegant parting remark, he left the classroom, and I realized I was alone.

I rolled my eyes. _Dammit._ It was gonna be a long day.

_Sorry for the wait. This chapters not that long, but my muse is sick._

_Thanks, as ever, to Katie for being my beta._


End file.
